Carlo Pietrobelli

Firm Innovation and Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean

The full version of this book compiles several empirical works that, through different lenses, aim to reveal which variables may have a systematic neffect on the productivity evolution observed at a firm and sectorial level in nLAC countries. The book emphasizes knowledge generation, diffusion, and nimplementation mainly through innovation, while exploring the roles of human capital, financial resources, and linkages that also shape firm inspiration.

Global Value Chains in the Peruvian Mining Sector

Traditionally the Peruvian context has been unfavorable for innovation by local firms in the mining sector. However, some firms have managed to innovate despite these conditions in recent years. The aim of this paper is to understand the factors and incentives that foster or hinder innovation in the Peruvian mining industry. Through the study of the experiences of a group of local suppliers, the mechanisms that lead to innovative activities are identified and analyzed. Special attention is paid to the role of interaction between contractors and large mining companies in the framework of Global Value Chains, as well as to the innovative efforts of some local suppliers. Evidence shows that innovation by local suppliers in the Peruvian mining sector has a limited scope and some particular characteristics. First, local suppliers who manage to innovate are mainly incumbent firms whose experience in the market allowed them to integrate into the mining value chain. Second, most of these firms are usually supported by their relationships with larger national or international companies. Third, the more important innovations seem to be concentrated in specific sectors where there is less foreign competition because of their specificity to the Peruvian context.

Networks, knowledge flows and innovation in the Chilean meat sector

This paper contributes to the debate on innovation in the agro-food industry by presenting the results of a study of the impact of knowledge flows on firms innovation in the Chilean meat sector. Most literature agrees that innovation is the result of complex systemic interactions among many different players including other firms, universities and government institutions. In order to test this hypothesis, we apply social network analysis (SNA) and logistic regression to assess whether there is a significant relationship between firms position in the network and their innovation performance. The empirical test of this hypothesis is based on secondary data and on primary data collected through firm-level questionnaires and interviews to the population of slaughtering and processing plants in six Chilean regions.

La política de innovación en América Latina y el Caribe: Nuevos caminos

Este libro desea reflejar el paso de la politica de innovacion en America Latina y el Caribe (ALC) hacia una etapa de creciente sofisticacion y de mayor impacto sobre el desarrollo. Una evolucion como esta es en parte producto de la transformacion que las mismas economias y la actividad empresarial estan atravesando en la region, y es tambien eco de las transformaciones economicas y tecnologicas globales. El hilo conductor de la publicacion reside en abordar como y por que la politica de innovacion ha comenzado a incursionar en ambitos que hasta ahora han estado relativamente ausentes del radar de los encargados de la toma de decisiones de los sectores publico y privado de la region. Dejando a un lado el tono pesimista que suele acompanar al diagnostico del atraso tecnologico latinoamericano, este libro invita al lector a pensar en un mundo en el que una masa critica de empresas de alta tecnologia emerge justamente desde los sectores mas tradicionales y supuestamente atrasados de nuestras economias --los recursos naturales-- para convertirse en un motor de transformaciones estructurales. Un mundo en el que la innovacion dialoga directamente con los agudos problemas de inclusion social y pobreza que caracterizan a ALC, y vuelve relevante el desarrollo tecnologico precisamente para aquellos sectores mas necesitados de la poblacion. Un mundo en el que el sector servicios consigue dar un salto cualitativo y deja de ser el lastre de la productividad de la economia. Un mundo en el que las empresas latinoamericanas y caribenas manejan con destreza su propiedad intelectual, convirtiendola en una palanca para el financiamiento de actividades de innovacion. Y en especial, el libro invita al lector a entender mejor como la politica y los programas publicos pueden desempenar un papel en estimular y facilitar que las empresas de la region alcancen logros como estos, de modo tal que se conviertan en actores centrales del proceso de transformacion estructural.